In order to prevent water damage of components such as e.g. fan motors in the vehicle air conditioning device, there is at the moment the possibility of preventing water penetration e.g. by a water separator. The components can be protected by encapsulation which is however associated with greater space demand and costs. The overall design of the air conditioning device can be configured such that a horizontal arrangement of fan, condenser, and a filter element, positioned upright, has inflow from below so that water is drained by gravity.
DE 10131384 A1, on the other hand, discloses an air filter arrangement for a motor vehicle that comprises a filter housing and an air filter and wherein the housing comprises at least one liquid drain, downstream of the filter, wherein the arrangement comprises a filter bypass passage in order to enable liquid entering at the air inlet to flow behind the filter, or past the filter, to the liquid drain. Of course, such a bypass causes an increase of fluid flow past the filter element.
It is the object of the invention to provide a filter element in which passage of water is enabled, even for filter arrangements other than those in DE 10131384 A1, for example, filter arrangements with minimal slant angle and/or flow from top to bottom. A further object is an inexpensive and space-saving solution.